NASSAU — Tourism to The Bahamas is up, with international arrivals showing a solid growth of +10.2% year-to-date, says The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation.

The growth trend, which first began in October 2017, is being driven by strong performance from the U.S., but a 29.6% increase through July in arrivals from Canada is also a major contributing factor.

Marketing and communications efforts in North America are being credited for increased interest from North Americans, says the Ministry. A new marketing program for 2018-19 is already underway and is anticipated to help maintain business growth.

The tourism forecast for the remainder of 2018 is up 6.7% over the August-October period, with a 10% increase expected for the final two months of the year.

“We have seen very good news and gratifying results across major Bahamian tourism sectors in recent months and are very encouraged. Using our new tracking tools, we have seen double-digit increases in international arrivals and strong business on the books for future months,” said Dionisio D’Aguilar, Ministry of Tourism and Aviation.

D’Aguilar also reported historic arrival numbers for Lynden Pindling International Airport, as well as “very strong occupancy rates” at the island’s hotels. “These outcomes are validation of the marketing and communications work we have been doing.”

As part of the new marketing program, the island will welcome several writers and influencers from the U.S. in the next several days to The Abacos islands in northern Bahamas. Grand Bahama Island will also host a select group of influencers while a late fall trip to Cat Island is also underway.

Moreover, the Ministry of Tourism will deploy advertising across a variety of broadcast, digital and out-of-home channels in key markets to raise awareness of the destination.